t I N E MAti • TRADE MEWS • Masse's Telefilm decision Ontario censors" more oppressive" expected middle of March TORONTO - The Ontario gov­ tribution much more tightly now proclaimed are indeed: ernment has legalized its cen­ than it has in the past by ex­ very close to the ones that we TORONTO - Minister of Com­ Telefilm are close to being re­ sorship criteria. Assented to tending the Board's powers have been using and that we munications Marcel Masse's solved. The Minister is close to Feb. 4, the new criteria were over all distribution for direct had determined over a period delay in announcing changes to making a decision." 1\'0 date added as regulations to the or indil'ect gain. '' In effect, this of five years of being really Broadcast Fund policies is cau­ was set on when the decision Theatres Act. means that every film and/or representative of community sing consternation in th e inde­ ""ould be announced. However, Last February the Court Videotape that is rented, sold standards." . pendent production sector. it was made clear that nothing of Appeal ruled against the or shown for promotion will The new regulations state Michael MacM iIIan, Canadian would be forthcoming until the constitutionality of the sec­ have to pass through the Board. that the Boal'd ma l' refuse to Film and Television Associa· last week of Februan or the tion (CFTA ) vice-president, says first week of March. The indus· that required all movies to be This provision will create the approve a film for e~ hibition 01' submitted to the ce nsor board need for a lal'ge bureaucracy distribution in Ontario where he is "worried, very worried. tr\! had originall\' expected the before public exhibition on the and w ill affect non -com m e~­ the film contains: It 's bizarre. The current situa­ minister to make an announce· grounds that its standards cial film distributors as well as tion is so lunatic, so ill-advised." ment in mid-Februarv. • graphic or prolonged scenes He said that if nothing is done w ere vague and easily chan­ artists and comm unity groups of violence, torture, crime, soon a lot of production com· Cinema Canada sources ged. However, censorship cri­ that use informa l exchanges to cruelty, horror or human de· panies are going to be b adly mentioned that while the teria in the law s hould meet get their material around." gradation; the court's objections. hurt. minister took the view that the Poole also said that, bv al­ • the depiction of the physical Communications consultant situation was urgent, "he re­ The Ontario Film and Video lowing the standards to be' part abuse or humiliation of human Paul Audley w ho has been con· sisted the pressure to do some­ Appreciation Society, which beings for purposes of sexual of the regulations of the Act, ducting a review of Broadcast thing very fast," as one source launched the court action they may be changed by gratification or as pleasing to Fund policies told Cinema put it. In the review process against the censor board, in­ Cabinet decision. the victim; Canada that he has briefed the everybody who had a point of tends to challenge the new • a scene where a person who Ontario Film Review Board minister but refused to elab­ view was spoken with. "Every­ regulations. In an interview is or is inte nded to represent a chairperson Mary Brown, how­ orate on what he had advised. thing we do, however," added with Cinema Canada, Lynn person under 16 appears nude ever, noted that "my strongest Equally tight-lipped was Tele­ the source, "is on a wing and a King, the lawyer acting for or partially nude in a sugges­ plea was that the standards not film program fund director prayer. We can't reliably pre­ OFAVAS, said that the "new tive context or in a scene of be enshrined in the Act, but Peter Pearson. Telefilm pre­ test all the options. \lVe want to regulations are very vague; explicit sexual activity; that they be put in the regula­ sented a brief to Masse at the eliminate as much uncertainty they infringe on the criminal • the explicity and gratuitious tions. I saw what happe ned to beginning of February. as possible to present the code; and they violate the depiction of urination, defeca­ the Criminal Code. It hasn't A source close to the minister Minister with a responsible charter of rights." tion or vomiting ; David [Joole, an OFAVAS changed in 25 years and it's not said that the "issues around assessment." even relevant today unless you • explicit depiction of sexual spokesman, noted that the activity; have an enlightened judge. "Theatre Act is more oppres­ • a scene depicting indignities sive than it was in the past. The standards had to be in the regulations where they could to the human body in an ex· There are incredible, draco­ plicit manner ; Broadcast policV review nian possibilities in this act. I be adjusted speedily, other­ wise you were defeating the • a scene where there is un­ don't see how much more res­ due emphasis on human trictive you can get." He poin­ whole purpose of the com­ terms of reference munity standards." genitalia; ted to the fact that the Act • a scene where an animal has allows the Board to control dis- She was particularly pleased been abused in the making of defined by DOC tht "the guidelines that are the film. TORONTO - Informed sources provision of local program­ Masse & Cote have told Cinema Canada that ming; minister of Communications • full exploitation of national on copyright changes Marcel Masse plans to have a television advertising by the Tegra plans world class studio White Paper on broadcast eBC with the withdrawal from OTTAWA - Communications policy published in June and all local and regional adver­ minister Marcel Masse, in col­ legislation tabled by Septem­ tising; laboration with consumer and VANCOUVER - Tegra Indus­ do world-class films. We ex­ ber. • an expanded role for provin­ corporate affairs minister Mi­ tries; a Vancouver-based pro­ pect 1985 to do even better." Last December Masse an­ cial broadcasters; chel Cote, tabled the previous duction services company, is Moniz said he was particular­ nounced that he wanted to • the replacement of CBC government's White Paper on exploring the possibility of ly confident about Tegra be­ undertake a complete review television in-house production revisions to the Copyright Act establishing a $10 million cause "its operating base is of broadcast policy. He would activities by the purchase of with the Parliamentary Com­ world-class studio in Vancou­ solid, It will net $1.5 million this not at the time elaborate on the programming from the private mittee on Communications ver. The publicly-quoted com­ year. If any film venture they terms of reference of such a re­ sector. This could entail the and Culture. pany, listed on the Vancouver became involved in collapsed, view. A DOC document ob­ sale or lease of much of the The White Paper, From Gu­ exchange, has staked out a Tegra would remain solvent. It tained by Cinema Canada out­ existing CBC production facil­ tenberg to Telidon, was first 200,000 sq. ft. site and has be­ has a diversified base which lines the minister's "reference ities to the private sector. presented in May 1984 but was gun discussing financing with will minimize risk." scenario." A reliable source within the not reviewed before dissolu­ the provincial government. Recently Tegra has pur­ The document says, "issues DOC said, however, that "the tion of Parliament. Part of Tegra's plans include chased Bay Ann, also listed on raised in the Terms of Referen­ broadcast review has not been Masse told Parliament that financing of Canadian films. the Vancouver exchange, as a ce must be examined in the set in motion in a concrete "Canada's Copyright Act has The company has interested shell company with $210,000 in context of other government way. We are making structural not been revised since 1924. Vancouver brokers Walwyn treasury. Should the studio and policies and priorities inclu­ decisions, looking at issues and Referring the proposals to the Stodgell Cochran Murray Ltd. film financing scheme fly, Bay ding, among othel' things, fi s­ saying what the terms of Commons Committee will in the project. Ann will become the finan­ cal restraint. enhanced federal· reference are." enable the government to con­ In a phone interview with cing arm of Tegra. provincial relations and a n in­ suIt the wide variety of interest Cinema Canada, Walwyn Moniz is currently exploring reased reliance on private sec­ A number of recent I\' formed groups that have a stake in account executive Ernest public interest in the scheme. tor initiative." lobby groups are ca'lling for If its's there h e' ll be ready wi th copyright revision." Moniz said that he's very ex­ It notes that particular em· public discussion of broadcast a prospectus in six months to The major American film cited about the project. He phasis will be given to the polic'~ ' via a Royal Commission. raise $2 million nationwide. distributors have been pressing noted that there has been a following : It seems like h ', however, that Tegra operates Alpha Cine, the government for some time huge demand for film and • the privatization of certain the minister \\:i1l, as in the past. the largest film lab in western to initiate changes in the copy­ video services in the west. CBC activities ; continue to w ork through con­ Canada ; film and video audio right law, particularly with "1984 was the best year ever for • the CBC's withdrawal froIll sultants.